A TYNESIDE expat who was caught up in the New Zealand earthquake today told how he feared for his life.

A state of emergency was declared after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, on the country’s south island, last weekend.

David Beck, 52, originally from Coxlodge, Gosforth, Newcastle, said his property shook so much early on Saturday morning he compared it to a train running though his house.

David said it is the most terrifying experience he has had since emigrating with wife Linda in 1982.

He said: “It was very, very scary. I thought the roof was going to cave in and we feared for our lives. After we woke up we just stood under a doorway until it stopped.

“We count ourselves lucky because quite a lot of people we know have lost their homes.”

The Newcastle United fan said his house suffered little damage as it was designed to withstand earthquakes, but most of his plates, glasses and cups were smashed in the four-minute episode.

David, a partner at Christchurch-based law firm SB Law, also told how his offices now look like a “bomb site”.

The quake hit 19 miles west of the city, on the east coast of the island, at 4.35am local time.

Residents reported collapsed buildings and bridges, as well as power cuts.

Christchurch, which has a population of around 400,000, was then rocked by a series of aftershocks, including one this morning, which reached a magnitude of 5.1. The state of emergency has been extended for a further week.

Mr Beck added: “I was driving on my way to work this morning and the ground started to dip, it was terrifying stuff. But the tremors stopped after a few minutes.”

No deaths have been reported.

Immediately after the quake, David called his worried mum and dad – Frank, 83, and Jean, 78 – to let them know everyone was fine.

A relieved Frank, from Welford Avenue, Gosforth, said: “When we heard about the earthquake we were terrified something had happened to them.

“But then he phoned and we were delighted. It’s scary being so far away, not knowing if they are all right.”

David and Linda married in Newcastle in 1979 and made the decision to move to another continent for a different way of life three years later.

Linda, who was born in Glasgow, is also a lawyer and in 2006 was awarded New Zealand’s distinguished Order of Merit after almost a quarter of a century’s services to people with disabilities.